The elastic-faced James Booth plays Arthur Tate, a naive young policeman who becomes increasingly successful after beginning his career as a bobby in a quiet English village where he lives with his mother (Amy Dalby).
With some “gentle assistance” from his mother, he rises meteorically to fame and fortune, with the secret of his success being that he believes everybody to be innocent and that women cannot resist telling him the truth.
In fact, the women he gets involved with during several murder investigations – beginning with Violet Lawson (Stella Stevens) – sell him a tall story easily. His firm belief in the glamorous girls convinces him every time that they are innocent of any crime.
He becomes involved with the beguiling Baroness Von Lukenberg (Avengersstar Honor Blackman), a Transylvanian aristocrat who secretly breeds monster spiders.
A corpse is found in the grounds of the Baron’s estate (location filming took place at Lacock Abbey in rural Wiltshire) and experts can find no cause of death – unless the body was crushed by a giant spider. Arthur, newly promoted to Chief Inspector as a result of earlier brilliance, discovers that this is the truth but accuses the wrong person. Luckily nobody notices.
He ends up as liaison officer to the President of a tempestuous South American republic (although shot on location in Portugal) and helps a smouldering film producer (Shirley Jones) to organise a revolution under the clueless belief that it is all part of a film.
The three separate episodes of the film all featured Lionel Jeffries, who appeared as a different character in each episode.
Arthur Tate James Booth Marigold Marado
Shirley Jones Violet Lawson
Stella Stevens Lily, Baroness von Lukenberg
Honor Blackman Inspector Hobart/Baron von Lukenberg/The Earl of Aldershot/President Esteda
Lionel Jeffries Lord Hetherby
Richard Vernon Mrs Tate
Amy Dalby Dr Adams
David Davenport Superintendent Henderson
Peadar Lamb Angela Pringle
Ann Lancaster Rex Mansard
Martin Benson Gen. Ferdinand Velez
Reginald Beckwith Pallazio
Nicolau Breyner Earl of Aldershot’s solicitor
Ernest Clark
Director
Andrew L. Stone
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With some “gentle assistance” from his mother, he rises meteorically to fame and fortune, with the secret of his success being that he believes everybody to be innocent and that women cannot resist telling him the truth.
He ends up as liaison officer to the President of a tempestuous South American republic (although shot on location in Portugal) and helps a smouldering film producer (Shirley Jones) to organise a revolution under the clueless belief that it is all part of a film.
Violet Lawson
Lord Hetherby
